by Len Maxwell
Member since:
December 17, 2005

To-Do List -- A quiz (Thursday Writing Essential)

April 07, 2011 05:40 PM UTC
views: 0 | 9 people recommend this | comments: 34

We all have our codes when we make our shopping lists. Uh, don’t we?

Below is a bunch of entries on my past three or four shopping lists. Can you figure out what I’m buying?

G.B. - 3
G.B.l - 1
t.s. x2
T.S.
t.p.
T.P.
G.P. & G. S.
M & C
D. M.
M. R.
CofA
CofM x2
CC

Naturally I put on common things such as: salad, onions, stewed tom., diced tom., bread, butter, and other such things.

Figured out the list above yet? Here are the answers.

G.B. - 3 = Three pounds of regular ground beef.
G.B.l - 1 = One pound of lean ground beef. I also use xl for the extra lean.
t.s. x2 = The lower case refers to the 8-oz cans of tomato sauce and the x2 means two of them.
T.S. = The upper case refers to the 29-oz cans of tomato sauce.
t.p. = Tricky. The lower case refers to the 6-oz can of tomato paste.
T.P. = Caps refers to toilet paper.
G.P. & G. S. = Don’t know how I ran out of both of them, but this is garlic powder and garlic salt.
M & C = Piece of cake: Macaroni and cheese. I only buy Kraft so I don’t need anything else.
D. M. = Dinty Moore.
m.r. x2 = Two 4-oz cans of mushrooms. I normally buy stems and pieces, but if I want sliced I’d add /s and /b would be buttons.
M. R. -1 = One pound of fresh mushrooms.
CofA = A can of Cream of Asparagus soup.
CofM x2 = Two cans of Cream of Mushroom soup.
CC = Cheddar cheese.

How many did you figure out and do you do the same type of shorthand when you’re making your shopping list?

Comments: 34

J. Reid Apr 7, 2011, 5:55pm UTC
Sorry Len, I grocery shop on-line, actually this months groceries were just delivered 20 minutes ago! I shop locally for fresh items only, like eggs, meat and fresh veggies.

I do have a shorthand for the butcher shop....
Ck Br = Chicken breasts,
R-Ck = roasting chickens
Chops = Pork chops center cuts
B Stakes = blade stakes etc..
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 5:58pm UTC
I'm not big on chicken so R-Ck would be Roast Chuck for me.
J. Reid Apr 7, 2011, 6:01pm UTC
We are opposites on this one, I eat a minimal amount of Beef, no more than once a week!
Sandy Moore Apr 7, 2011, 6:02pm UTC
Interesting list. I wonder if my son would know what I am talking about if I started writing my grocery list like that.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 7:41pm UTC
Maybe, but it might be interesting to see what he came back with.
Kimberly Blackadar Apr 7, 2011, 6:03pm UTC
This is a great post, Len.

My grocery list does not have any abbreviations. That way my kids can read it and help me find the items.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 7:42pm UTC
I remember my mother using abbreviations in her lists, but she translated them for me as she sent me off to grab something off the shelf.
Brenda Youngerman Apr 7, 2011, 6:07pm UTC
Hmmmm....no shorthand on grocery lists for me ....sorry
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 7:43pm UTC
It's something so common for me that I figured everyone did it.
Winona (the crazy rat lady) Apr 7, 2011, 6:43pm UTC
I've never used shorthand at all, but I did learn the x2 or x1 or x5 from watching my granny make shopping lists.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 7:44pm UTC
I'm guessing the shorthand I use is due to the fact that I'm lazy.
JOHN BECK Apr 7, 2011, 7:05pm UTC
That's better than scribbling, then not being able to read the scribble.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 7:44pm UTC
That is one of the reasons I resort to such things. My handwriting is so bad that I frequently can't read what I wrote.
Connie C. Apr 7, 2011, 8:05pm UTC
LOL I remember the first time I worked in a restaurant as a waitress. I put Ham instead of HB on the order. We were really busy and the entire family had ordered Hamburgers. Well the cook thougth my order slip was for 5 Ham sandwiches. When in reality they were for 5 HamBurgers. Man did I goof big time.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 8:49pm UTC
I can think of that as really cool now, but if I had been in that family, I might, just might, have been a bit testy.
Sandre M. Apr 7, 2011, 8:16pm UTC
I used four register receipts from four "big shopping" trips to the grocery store and used them to compile a list of standard things we always need. Then I looked through the pantries and cupboards for extra items I might not buy each time or even each month. I put the whole list together on the computer and now when I get ready to plan menus and do a big shopping, I just print out the list and check the things I need. That way I don't usually forget anything and it's a lot easier than writing the list each time.
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 8:51pm UTC
Yeah, that worked when I had a family and we could compile our lists. Now, though, I just write things down as I use something. I use the goodies, I put them on the list, and I do the shopping. It's a matter of convenience for me.
Sandre M. Apr 7, 2011, 11:49pm UTC
That seems really economical, timewise. I do so much cooking I don't have time to stop and account for things as I go.
Marilyn (PaintsOnSlate) S. Apr 7, 2011, 8:33pm UTC
I understood the Mac and Cheese and Toilet paper but the others were foreign to me. Those initials would drive me crazy. I buy everything on your list except the Dinty Moore Although when camping and buying for camping Dinty Moore is a favorite between two pieces of bread in a pie iron cooked over a fire - delicious! It's like cooking a beef pot pie over the campfire.

Oh and to answer your question about my deviled eggs - Dill pickle is the answer and NO MIRACLE WHIP for me. ( someone else responded to your question and I didn't know if you would see my answer)
Len Maxwell Apr 7, 2011, 8:52pm UTC
Love the camping example of Dinty Moore use.

Already responded about the deviled egg thing. I do them regularly and -- Miracle Whip!
William Dotani Apr 8, 2011, 1:37am UTC
I only got toilet paper and a T S Eliot book.

I don't make lists. I just look in the frig & cupboards to see what we need. I usually buy massive quantities of bargains. Maybe 10 cans of tuna at 50 cents a can. I keep hoping to see some food display at the supermarket showing how to make deviled eggs with Miracle Whip. My wife likes Japanese mayo and will not eat American mayo. I once put American mayo on a potato and she wanted sour cream.
Len Maxwell Apr 8, 2011, 1:45pm UTC
At my old house I had a Smart & Final right across the street from me. They offer a lot of bulk purchase savings and I could easily carry them home and go back for more. Here...

Because I walk to the store I have to be more selective in my purchases because it's a bit farther and I have to carry whatever I buy.
William Dotani Apr 9, 2011, 1:39am UTC
Did you sometimes drop into the pub and ask Sweeney for a shell?
Michael Fishman Apr 8, 2011, 8:55am UTC
I didn't figure it out and I don't make a list when I go shopping. I pretty much eat the same stuff all the time so shopping is pretty routine for me. I've never had Dinty Moore or that canned La Choy chow mein but both of them look good.

I'm curious though about one thing. If t.s. = 8-oz cans of tomato sauce and T.S. = 29-oz cans of tomato sauce and t.p. = 6-oz can of tomato paste why does T.P. = toilet paper instead of a larger can of tomato paste?
Len Maxwell Apr 8, 2011, 1:47pm UTC
Because I don't remember seeing a larger can of tomato paste and, even if they had it, I see no reason I'd ever want one.

If you've never tried Dinty Moore, you owe it to yourself to try it. It is absolutely love-it or hate-it.
Barbary C. Apr 8, 2011, 8:34pm UTC
t.p. might mean toothpaste to me.

Tried a dollop of red wine in that Dinty Moore?

I put a star in front of an item if I have a coupon for it.

I'd be interested in what your menu items were with all those different ingredients?
Len Maxwell Apr 8, 2011, 9:11pm UTC
I use TP, capitalized and no periods for toothpaste.

I have not. But I will. Sweet or dry?

Um, my wife was big on coupons, but I never use them.

Those were just entries from several different lists, compiled for the purpose of showing people how I do my shopping.
Michael Fishman Apr 9, 2011, 8:04am UTC
I take Progresso or Chunky soup and then add a bunch of stuff to it to make a stew-like thing and once I added a little red wine to it, really sweet stuff, and it was very good.
the3rr !. Apr 10, 2011, 3:41pm UTC
I guessed two on your list. I don't make a list and I eat before I go to the store to prevent conpulsive buying. I buy what I enjoy or something that interests me. Very routine with no excitement.
Len Maxwell Apr 10, 2011, 3:43pm UTC
I can't remember the last time I bought something that wasn't on my list. I'm the most boring shopper in the world.
Ed Da Head Toker Apr 12, 2011, 1:41am UTC
what a big whoop
Len Maxwell Apr 12, 2011, 9:37am UTC
I was bored and had to post something. Best I could do.
Truth Always Apr 12, 2011, 9:42am UTC
If this were my list, I would forget what it was... The best that I can do to shorten my list is this one ... c.cheese=cream cheese, c.c. soup=cream of chicken soup, pot.=potatoes, tom.=tomatoes. I think its pretty easy to understand, but my hubby doesnt think so...LOL!!
Len Maxwell Apr 12, 2011, 5:56pm UTC
I can't write (or print) worth a darn and wouldn't be able to read what I wrote so I came up with this shorthand. Works for me and I'm the only one shopping, so that's all that counts.

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